by Linda Conrad
But to her mind, it just didn’t seem right for the sheriff’s stepdaughter to drive a county car for personal use. What would the townspeople think?
If she had to work for the bastard, which it seemed at least temporarily she did, no one would have a reason to complain about nepotism. Not if she had something to say about it.
She cranked the key while staring out the bug-ridden windshield toward the long, low brick building housing the sheriff’s department. When she’d come back to town to take the deputy’s job, she’d learned the “new” building had been erected five years ago. Constructed courtesy of Travis Chance, the head of the Bar-C and owner of much of the land in Chance County. His donation, in addition to a massive fundraiser the town had put together, gave them enough money to modernize the whole sheriff’s department.
Computers and airconditioning and brand-new patrol trucks. Chance County had updated their sheriff’s office as if it were a department as large as one in the city of Houston. She knew about one of those, as she’d been employed there for the past few years before coming here.
Her Subaru wheezed, hesitated and finally rumbled to life. But still she sat and stared. Something seemed off.
Only Louanna, the part-time dispatcher, should be in the building at this hour. Yet a light had just gone out in one of the storage rooms in back. If it was Louanna moving around back there, that would mean she wasn’t doing her duty at the front desk. Didn’t sound like the woman.
Lacie tried to focus on the outside perimeter of the building, though deep pitch-darkness everywhere but at the front kept her from seeing too clearly. Was that something, or someone, moving through the shadows in back?
On pure instinct, her right hand went to the gun at her hip. Now she felt sure something was wrong.
Leaving her car running in Neutral, she quietly stepped out and headed across the parking lot toward the rear of the building. If this was an employee coming back to retrieve something they’d left at work, she would apologize and feel foolish.
But if this were someone breaking in…
Breaking into the sheriff’s offices? Who would be stupid enough or drunk enough to do anything like that? And why?
Adjusting her eyes to the low light coming from the stars and half-moon, Lacie bent at the waist to make herself a smaller target and started through the sage and brush surrounding the building. She heard a slight rustling, and then footsteps against the hard, packed ground. Finally she saw the silhouette of a man, creeping along the edge of the building.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Guess the perpetrator took that as a rhetorical question, because he took off running as if he’d been shot.
Ah, hell. After a day of physical strain doing her job, now she was forced to chase down an intruder?
From what she could see, he was a big guy. But with a lean build. Just her luck, he’d probably be a runner.
“Stop!” Another seemingly useless statement, as he never slowed down. So she set off to catch him across the darkened fields.
Praying to be spared the ankle sprain that could come from accidently stepping into a prairie-dog hole in the dark, she ran full-out. She pumped air into her lungs as a cool night breeze stirred her hair. She pounded across the arid soil.
Soon she was gaining ground on him. But catching up this fast seemed rather odd considering the differences in height and stride. As she closed in, she realized the man had a decided limp to his gait. Thank heaven, or she might have had to face a lot of ribbing from the male deputies when she came up empty-handed.
When she looked up, the guy had disappeared in the darkness. What the heck was he up to?
Just then, she lost her footing and stumbled down an embankment that had appeared out of nowhere. The surprise brought a high-pitched squeal from her mouth and a certainty that her man would be long gone by the time she stopped.
Swallowing her frustration, she tried digging in her heels to stem the fall—without much luck. Then suddenly her forward momentum stopped abruptly. She’d run right into a broad chest and muscled arms.
“Whoa,” a deep voice said out of the night. Was this the same guy she’d been chasing?
Whoever her savior was, he grabbed her upper arms and held her close to stop her from sliding farther down the embankment. “Are you all right?”
In seconds she had her body under control and found purchase in the slippery dust. She pushed back from him, checked the weapon in her holster and then went for the flashlight attached to her belt.
Who was this character? “I’m uninjured,” she mumbled. “I’m the sheriff’s deputy. Identify yourself. Now.”
“Sheriff’s deputy?” The deep voice sounded vaguely familiar, like something out of a dream.
She clicked on the light and shined it up into his face. Gasping at the sight of him, she then found her voice had deserted her.
When she forced enough air back into her lungs to speak, she squeaked, “Colt? Colt Chance, is that you?”
Colt’s voice, the warm, strong voice she’d sworn to always remember, sounded unsure. “Lacie? It can’t be. Did you say sheriff’s deputy?”
His question brought her mind back in focus as she reached for her weapon. “Yes. And you have a lot of questions to answer. You are under arrest.”
Chapter 2
Colt slowly raised his hands above his head. “Whatever you say, Lace.”
But he couldn’t keep the smile off his face as she pointed her big ole six-shooter in his direction. Of all the people to run into after breaking into the sheriff’s office. The only non–family member in Chance, Texas, that he’d ever cared about, Lacie McCord was the last person he’d expected to see.
When he’d heard her yelling and realized his pursuer was a woman, he’d dropped into this dry resaca to hide. But when she’d come tumbling after him, he’d had no choice but to stop her fall. Now he was glad he had.
“Stop grinning, Chance. This is not funny.” But she lowered her gun barrel. “Are you armed?”
“No, ma’am.” The easy grin kept creeping across his face no matter what he did. “I’m not crazy about guns.”
“Hmm. Just keep your hands where I can see them for the time being.”
“Sure thing, Lace.”
She cleared her throat but kept her distance. “What are you doing here at this hour? I didn’t even know you were back in town.”
Lacie McCord. One of the biggest mysteries of his entire life. Hell. Every cell in his body yearned to drag her close and put an end to the distance all their lost years had created between them. When his eyes finally got used to the low night light and he could see her better, he found himself braced against a dry north wind, utterly speechless and staring.
They’d been close once. At least he’d thought so. The best friend he’d had in high school. But right before graduation he had decided to make them more than friends—to take their relationship to another level. He’d kissed her—a lot. As he recalled, both of them had liked where their new status was headed.
But before he’d had a chance to suggest more, she’d disappeared. Up and left town without a word. He’d always wondered if it had been something he’d done—or not done.
Tonight’s dark and moonless sky made it difficult to see her expression. To judge her thoughts. But it was not so dark that he couldn’t see how her body had turned out after ten years. Even in the stiff long-sleeved uniform shirt and heavy khaki pants, it was clear she’d filled out nicely.
The womanly curves that had been only hinted at as a teenager were now vividly apparent. He had dreamed of her, what she might look like all grown up. So her curvy female form didn’t feel like much of a surprise. He’d known in his gut she would turn out to be a beautiful woman.
But that she stood there in a deputy’s uniform and holding a gun on him was another matter. The sight of her uniform, knowing she was working for her stepfather, triggered a cold shudder inside him. The questions he’d always had about her disappearance were suddenly
magnified by brand-new questions.
He cleared his throat and straightened up. “I’ve been in Chance for about a month. Came home to heal.”
“I noticed the limp—when you were running the other direction. What happened to you?”
“It’s a long story. But the injuries have put my career on hold, so…I decided to find out what’s new in Chance, Texas.” He took a breath, giving himself a moment to get his head back in the game.
Lacie—in league with Sheriff McCord? That came as a bigger shock than discovering she’d become a deputy sheriff. His first impulse upon seeing her had been to skip all the questions and to jump ahead and ask for her help. But maybe that idea would need some revision.
The brisk late-winter winds whirled dust and dirt around them. “Could we take this reunion somewhere else?” He forced another half smile, trying to make her feel more at ease.
It seemed to work.
She holstered her gun. “Back to the office. We can talk there and you can convince me not to throw you in a cell for trespassing.”
*
Lacie tried to calm her hammering pulse as she escorted Colt across the empty fields to the parking lot. She shut off her car and gave him a light frisking backed up against it. Touching him had been hard…difficult. No, hard was the perfect word to describe coming into contact with his body during the pat down. She did everything in her power to do the job right. Though really, it never occurred to her that he might be lying about having a weapon.
Colt had been her dearest friend and her only regret once upon a time. He never lied about anything. But she needed to maintain her professionalism here. Being a good cop was all she had to fall back on.
She let him lead the way to the sheriff’s office across the deserted parking lot. The beam coming from the flashlight she carried winked up and down, catching weeds and then sky while she fought to stem her trembling hands.
Her shakes and breathless condition came from encountering the one person who’d meant the most to her in this small town. Her savior. Her hero. The boy who, at the age of ten, had taken the new girl in town under his wing and protected her from the bullies who’d been dying to get the best of the sheriff’s stepdaughter. Much later, Colt had even tried to take on her stepfather all by himself. Standing up to him and always getting in his face.
He’d taken the pressure off her at a time when she’d needed it the most. And she’d idolized him for it.
All these years later, she didn’t know how to remain steady and outwardly in control while in his presence.
Colt didn’t appear to take notice. Or if he did, he never said a word. He looked calm and collected. Not much different from the boy she’d left behind ten years ago. As a teen, he’d been sure of who he was and what he wanted. Then as now, he’d always seemed so cool.
And still the handsomest male she’d ever laid eyes on. Broad shoulders. Trim hips above a mighty fine, tight butt covered in denim. The nights of her senior year came to mind as she remembered how his lips had sent chills down her spine with her first real kiss. She’d never forgotten.
Stumbling slightly, she came to the conclusion that she’d better stop ogling the man before breaking her neck and embarrassing herself beyond hope.
She touched the radio control at her shoulder. “Louanna? I’m coming inside. Bringing a man with me. Buzz us in, please.”
“Sure thing, Lacie. Are you okay?” The dispatcher answered with many more questions brimming over in her voice.
Lacie wavered, wishing she had someplace else to question Colt. But it was well past midnight in a town that buttoned up at 10:00 p.m.
Luckily, Louanna knew the value of keeping her mouth shut and staying out of other people’s business. The middle-aged woman made a terrific night dispatcher because she only asked the questions she was paid to ask. Still, Lacie would have to come up with a good reason for bringing Colt into the station at this late hour.
The front and back doors were kept locked and alarmed after hours. As Louanna buzzed them inside the front, Lacie thought about seeing that light wink off inside the back room right before she spotted Colt. He did have some explaining to do.
Instead of introducing Colt to the dispatcher, Lacie said, “I spotted this man on foot outside and I thought we’d have us a chat. We’ll use the break room. Is there any coffee?”
“Just made some.” Louanna squinted up at Colt’s face. “Do you know him? He looks like one of the Chance family. You’re related to the Bar-C Chances, aren’t you, son?”
Before Lacie could stop him, Colt nodded and took off his Stetson.
“We won’t be too long, Louanna,” Lacie hurriedly mumbled. Grabbing Colt by the elbow, she dragged him down the hall, turning on lights as she went.
“You need me to notify the sheriff?” Louanna called after them.
“No need to wake anyone. But thanks. This is not a big deal.”
Once inside the break room with the door firmly shut behind them, Lacie took a deep breath and tilted her head toward the small table and chairs. “Sit down. Want coffee?”
“Nope.” Colt propped his hat on the back of a chair and tucked his tall lean frame into another one. “You always offer coffee to suspects?”
“You are not a suspect.” She poured herself a mug and sat across the plastic tabletop from him. “Well, on second thought, you do need to explain yourself. What were you doing hanging around outside the sheriff’s offices in the middle of the night?”
Under the harsh break room fluorescents, Colt’s features were razor-edged, more adult than the teenager she remembered. But his stormy blue eyes were still as clear and intense as when she’d left town. He studied her with a piercing gaze. It made her squirm, wondering what he was thinking.
Straightening her shoulders to give herself a lift, she tried to regain control. But soon she found herself thinking that the creases at the edges of his eyes and the darker stubble on his jaw made him much more interesting and appealing than he’d been as a kid.
Stop, she cautioned herself. She needed to stop noticing now.
He didn’t answer her directly, but linked his fingers together on the tabletop, stared down at them and asked his own questions without looking up. “How long have you been back in town, Lace? And what made you become a deputy?”
“You’re answering a question with more questions. That doesn’t bode well for this conversation.”
“Is that what we’re having? You sure this is a conversation and not an interrogation?”
Sighing, she rolled her eyes and prayed for patience. “All right. Fine. We’ll get reacquainted first.”
After gulping down a slug of hot coffee to give herself a jolt of backbone, she gave in and answered his questions. “I’ve been back in Chance for about six months. And being a deputy is something I’ve wanted for a long time. I spent a couple of years as a rookie on the force in Harris County and then came here when the sheriff advertised for help.”
“Houston. You came back to this half-baked town from the big city? Why?”
She held her tongue and stared at him. Oh, how she would love to tell him everything. To go back to being close, the way they used to be. But though he’d once taught her the meaning of justice, she hadn’t told him everything then, and she wasn’t about to spill her heart to him now. Not when she didn’t even know who he was anymore.
“I finally realized I liked living here,” she answered truthfully. “I spent most of my childhood in this town and missed it.”
“Seriously? You like Chance, Texas? Why?”
The complete truth was that she’d missed him. She’d been more than a little disappointed after arriving in Chance to find out he’d been gone from town almost as long as she had.
“It’s a nice place,” she finally answered. “Small enough that everybody knows everybody else. Puts me at ease. The town is laid-back and friendly.” Well, almost everyone was friendly, with the one big exception of her boss and stepfather. But she didn’t want t
o talk about him right now.
“You can have the whole damned place,” Colt said with a shake of his head. “I’ve always hated it here. I can talk on the phone and over the internet to my brothers anytime from anywhere. I never would’ve come back to this dump if it weren’t for my current condition.”
Without being completely aware of what she was doing, Lacie reached out and gently touched his folded hands. “Tell me what happened. How were you injured?”
*
Well, hell. Why not tell her? It wasn’t as if it was any big secret. Besides, Colt figured he wouldn’t get her talking if he didn’t also open up.
He needed her help. Without it, he would never get the information he needed. That had become abundantly clear when he couldn’t access the locked file drawers earlier. But he was worried about her shift in loyalties. When they’d been kids, she couldn’t stand the man that was her stepfather. She’d never talked much about him, but the hatred always seemed clear in her voice.
Colt hadn’t been prepared to see her again and everything about her shocked him. He also hadn’t been ready for the sizzle he’d been experiencing in her touch.
Carefully, he eased his hands back and let his gaze drift from her eyes to the base of her neck and the pulse beating overtime there. Before he could wonder why she seemed so out of breath, his glance slid down to her heaving chest and he got caught by the sight of her full rounded breasts. A shot of pure lust rode through him, leaving him breathless, too.
Tearing his eyes away, he opened his mouth and blurted the first thing that came out. “I screwed up. I’d spent months gathering evidence to present to a grand jury in order to indict a federal prosecutor. And instead of nailing down the bastard with the last bit of evidence needed, I ended up blowing the whole sting and getting myself shot up but good in the process.”
“What happened?”
Releasing a breath he hadn’t thought he’d been holding, he said, “Do you remember that our family lost a baby sister? That she was kidnapped as a four-year-old by our crazy, drug-addicted aunt?”
